Trail Of Broken Memories
by Crescent Moon -Jessica151294
Summary: After retrieving an artifact called the Enlightened Libra, the Lux Knight and his partner enter a Lux Veritatis fortress in search of a weapon that could help them destroy the sinister Nephilim but the night holds more surprises than they're prepared for. [June 2014: Last chapter slightly changed!]
1. Inception

**Hello everybody! xD First of all, I'd like to apologise for the terrible delay to those who saw the update on my profile and have been waiting for this fanfic! Here we start with a new story after 'The Beginning Of A Dark Era', which I hope you enjoyed and wasn't a let-down for those who expected more than it offered! This story is made up of about eight or nine _really _short chapters! I hope you all like it, reviews are highly appreciated as well as constructive criticism! Rated T, but it may get Rated M for later chapters! Here's the first chapter, hope you enjoy! =)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Inception<strong>

_Warsaw, Poland, 1981_

I let my eyes wander around. All I see is an huge, old fortress. Father says it was built in the 14th century by my ancestors. He is here with someone named Richard Croft. He is an archaeologist and a loyal friend of my father.

The place gets darker but I keep on exploring it. It looks like a maze now. As I examine my surroundings, I feel someone's presence right behind me. I turn around and face a pair of beautiful, brown eyes.

Who's this girl…?

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><p><em>Warsaw, Poland, Present Day<em>

His bitter thoughts about his dark past had awakened again but he tried and finally managed to bury them deep inside the darkest corners of his mind. He found himself driving a car towards a remote valley. But he wasn't alone…

Right next to him was an attractive, brunette woman, sitting in the car and staring at the scenery outside the window. A partner as strong as him that could as well fight against darkness, a friend he'd found to keep him company through the cold, sorrowful winternights, a person that could actually understand the torments he was going through every day in his life. He had never believed that he would find someone that could make his soul -or at least the human part of it that still remained- feel warmth.

"Are we there yet?" her voice broke the silence of his thoughts. "In a while" he replied.

After their visit and exploration to Jerusalem, Lara Croft and Kurtis Trent obtained an ancient relic called The Enlightened Libra. After the retrieval of the artifact, they ended up in Poland. There, Lara managed to gather information about the Libra.

An old friend of her father, Professor Gregory, told her that The Enlightened Libra was a key that belonged to an ancient, mystical order called the Lux Veritatis. They were a 12th century order of warrior monks, fighting evil. This key could open The Enlightened Gate which was said to reveal a secret underground fortress of the Lux Veritatis, located in the capital of Poland. They wanted to hide a secret of great evil and merciless dark and so they built the fortress. But the place was considered to guard some kind of ancient weapon. They weren't sure about its origins or whether its power could destroy a Nephilim or not but it was the best thing they could think of in order to destroy the unholy race. Everything else they had attempted had led to a deadend.

After a while, the car stopped and silenced. The couple got out of it and walked into a deserted valley. It was peaceful but the silence seemed to whisper the many guilty and dangerous secrets of the valley to anyone who believed.

And now there they were, ready to save the world again, a world already led astray. And they both knew that even if they saved the world from certain destruction, neither of them would be rewarded. But this was their duty. They both knew that there were hidden secrets about the world's Fate that they had to unbury. They both knew how it would end. They would never be able to save the world, they were just delaying its final doom. But they just didn't have the heart to forsake their task and each other. They were the only ones who could fight for the sake of humanity. Destiny had united them for a reason and they both felt this strong and invulnerable connection between them since the first time they looked into each other's eyes.

The night had prepared its hell and it would turn it loose when the time was appropriate. That night they would discover truths that would haunt them for the rest of their lives…

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><p><strong>AN: Alright, I finally posted this! The facts in Jerusalem are never going to be mentioned. Make your own theories, that's the purpose of this little reference ;) and that Professor Gregory is created by me and won't be part of any of the next chapters! Reviews are always appreciated...! Update coming as soon as possible!**


	2. The Enlightened Gate

**Thanks for reviewing so fast, it means a lot, really! :) Yeap, the second chapter is ready and posted! Not al lot of twists though (actually no twists at all :P ) but the time for those will come soon! Here's chapter two for now!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Enlightened Gate<strong>

_1981_

I'm in a gigantic, old fortress. It's underground. Dad says we're here for just a simple exploration. Everything seems so peaceful. His good friend, Konstantin told me to explore the place. So I did.

I search around the place when I see a boy in front of me. Who's he? I wonder to myself. Suddenly, he turns around and faces me. Oddly enough, he looks familiar. It is then when I get lost into a pair of gorgeous, blue eyes…

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><p><em>Present Day<em>

The moon was illuminating the black-veiled sky as shiny little dots were decorating it.

"Now how do we get underground?" she asked him.

He didn't respond, he just raised his arms and after that his vision became red and blur, letting his spirit wander beneath the ground. After a while he returned to his body with a jolt. She looked at him and he looked her back.

"Follow me" he simply added and walked a few steps away. She did so and he managed to find a secret passage leading underground. They walked through it and then found themselves into a deep tunnel.

He was walking ahead with his trustful Glaive spinning in front of him, guiding them, enlightening their way. He had his gun drawn, ready to shoot in case they saw anyone, which they both doubted since the place hadn't been visited for many years. Behind him was his partner with curious eyes hungrily exploring the place.

After walking through the humid and dark tunnel, they faced a closed door and some stony platforms leading to an opening some metres above the level ground. They both tried make the door budge but couldn't. Even Kurtis' telekinetic blast didn't work. After that, they both suspected that the answer was in the opening above. Some climbing was demanded in order for the opening to be reached.

"That's a Tomb Raider's job, isn't it" he said with a tone of sarcasm.

She just smiled sweetly to him and walked ahead. Lara climbed the platforms gracefully due to her flexibility. Kurtis made the platforms move telekinetically so Lara could reach them with ease. With the cooperation of both of them, she managed to reach the opening. There, she triggered some kind of old mechanism by pushing a button and consequently, made the door open. Afterwards, she climbed down and they both walked through the door.

After getting deeper into the tunnel, they faced a magnificent, huge gate before their eyes. They were both amazed by the size of the gate. But something felt wrong, as if the place was disgustingly familiar to both of them. But this little ray of awareness did not become apparent in neither of their faces.

"The Enlightened Gate" Lara muttered in astonishment.

Kurtis shook his head, full of surprise as well.


	3. Into the Fortress

**Hello! I'd like to thank everyone reading the story, I hope you'll as well enjoy the rest of the chapters! :) Chapter three is ready and posted and apart from what you all might be suspecting about Lara's and Kurtis' past, I have an interesting twist for you...! ;) Its time will soon come, until then, enjoy! =)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Into the Fortress<strong>

_1981_

She does nothing but stare at me. What am I supposed to do? She shouldn't be here. My father told me that we have to hide our secret, no matter what. He told me that I should kill in order to keep the secret safe if necessary. Even innocent people. But she's just a girl and dad probably knows that she's here. She must be related with this Richard Croft. Wait, she's waving a hand. Now what? Instinctively, I return the gesture…

_Present Day_

She examined the stony gate with her fingertips inch by inch. Then she found a hole which seemed to fit perfectly to the Enlightened Libra.

"Kurtis, give me the Libra" she called him.

He did so. She placed the Enlightened Libra to the hole of the Enlightened Gate and then waited for the gate to open. Paradoxically, nothing at all happened.

"What the hell!" she complained. Her partner looked at her while raising an eyebrow and smiled.

"What?" she said furiously. "Ignorance, Croft. Ignorance!" he said sardonically.

Then he said a couple of Latin words and out of the blue the gate started moving. She looked at him with an expression of admiration. Then they both stared at the gate opening.

Suddenly, she felt a strange feeling developing inside of her. The place seemed oddly familiar. It was like it came from another lost dimension, like a lost illusion, like a vivid dream, like a memory long since forgotten. But yet it was so vividly familiar. Kurtis felt all those thoughts and emotions of her telepathically. And he became more alarmed when he realised that he felt exactly the same way. Despite all those signs, they entered the gate, ready to disclose the secrets that the fortress was hiding.

He held his Chirugai tightly and she had her crossbow drawn. They were both ready. They had to discover whatever this fortress was hiding. But the place was extremely huge. They had to split up in order to save time. With a nod they both understood each other's thoughts.

"I'll go ahead. You go to the path on the left" she stated. "Okay" he agreed.

She turned around to leave but he held her arm tightly and made her turn around again and face him. He stared at her eyes for a while and then kissed her gently, with one hand tenderly holding her face and the other one holding the Glaive firmly. She responded with the same emotional way.

"Be careful" he whispered to her worried, after breaking the kiss. "You too" she said silently.

After that, she planted a gentle kiss on his cheek and walked the opposite direction. He looked at her for a while and then made his way on the left.

Lara continued walking ahead while Kurtis headed for the direction of the dark path.

She held her crossbow tightly as she kept on walking deeper into the humid fortress. Memories seemed to flash through her mind. However, they were too distant, almost didn't even exist.

_Have I been here before?_

She didn't have time to waste though. She had to find out what the secret fortress hid about the Shadow War. She hoped to find the weapon said to be guarded there. She kept on walking, trying to bury those odd memories deep inside her…

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><p>The path was too dark but fortunately his unique weapon illuminated his way. The path seemed as if it had been walked through before. He had feelings inside him he hadn't felt before. But he wasn't afraid. Kurtis Trent never felt afraid, or at least he never let it show. And if he ever did, it meant that things were very serious.<p>

Neither Lara, nor Kurtis was sure about the weapon's existence but things had come to a deadend lately and there was nothing better to do but rely on myths and prophecies. After all, in a life like Kurtis', myths were the reality and the definition of reality differed from that of the rest people. Time shouldn't be wasted though.

Searching and not thinking was the best idea for now…


	4. Forgotten Past

**Hello everyone! xD Yeap, chapter four is up! Thank you Ferilium and gyikhu for reviewing every chapter so far, I hope you'll as well enjoy the new one! :) So, here we go!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Forgotten Past<strong>

_1981_

He waves back. Well, that's a good sign. Father talked to me about Konstantin's son once. Maybe it's him. Wait, I can hear dad calling me.

"Lara! Come here my child!"

I have to run to daddy.

And so she did. He just stared at her and when she faded away, he continued his exploration…

He didn't see her ever since…

_Present Day_

Lara Croft searched the place but found nothing suspicious or interesting. "Well, if the place hides something, it hides it very, very well" she whispered.

After a while, she found some signs on stony walls. They were telling a story. They showed an angel with broken wings. The Angel fell on the earth with damaged wings.

"The Great Angel of Heaven fell to the Earth, summoned by mankind but then got trapped, bound to suffer the earthly years" she read on the walls.

Then she saw the Angel on the walls causing great destruction on the earth.

Suddenly, an image of herself running through one of the paths of this fortress flashed through her mind.

"What's happening here?" she whispered. The same image came more and more vividly to her mind. "I've been here before" she whispered.

She remembered her father and his loyal friend beside him.

_~"Why don't you explore the place, dear Lara?" the man said. With a smile on her face, the 13-year-old Lara did so. As she was exploring, she faced a 9-year-old boy in front of her…~_

"Oh, no… This can't be possible…"

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><p>Kurtis had gone deeper and deeper into the fortress, exploring for a great amount of time. On one point and later on, the ground was flooded but the water level was low. He found some stairs but the door which the stairs led to was locked. He tried to unlock it with a knife or break it with his supernatural powers but nothing. Having a closer look to his surroundings, he found a button in the water. He pushed it with his foot and the door opened. As he entered it, the water level came higher, reaching his waist, but he kept on going.<p>

Suddenly, memories of another time flashed through his mind. He tried to bury them as he felt like he shouldn't remember, as though it would be too dangerous to remember…

He found a massive, marble door. He somehow knew it was a tomb. He touched it. Then he widened his eyes. He wasn't suspecting that he knew this place anymore. He was _sure_ that he knew this place. And that wasn't something good.

"Fuck!" he cursed as he remembered…

_23 August 1981_

Kurtis Heissturm had become 9 years old a couple of months ago. His father had taken him to Poland to show him a fortress of great importance. It was the tomb of a creature born to bring great darkness. But it was locked by the Lux Veritatis centuries ago, so it couldn't cause any harm. Lord Richard Croft was accompanying them. His expertise in archaeology would help them secure the place so no one would ever be able to find it. But he had brought his 13-year-old daughter too because of her unlimited curiosity. He was sure he would be able to take good care of her, so he let her come.

As both innocent children were exploring the gigantic fortress, they met each other. There was distance between them but young Lara couldn't help but notice those piercing blue eyes that seemed to see through your soul. Kurtis felt emotions never experienced before, rising inside of him as soon as he noticed her captivating brown eyes. They seemed to hide both darkness and innocence.

She waved at him.

He waved back.

She smiled to him.

He stared at her.

She heard her father calling her name.

She ran away from him.

He watched her fading away.

This was it.

The same day he learned about the secret of the fortress. His father made him promise never to go there again.

"I promise, father"

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><p><em>2003, Paris<em>

They grew up, went on with their lives, followed their destinies. Until their destinies united.

Kurtis Trent who was now a strong and independent man was in search of his father's murderer but so was Lara Croft, the notorious archaeologist and adventurer. Before she knew it, the restless woman was in the Louvre, staring at Kurtis' gorgeous eyes. Suddenly, a voice inside her told her _"You're home"_

_Do I know you?_ she wondered as they both leaned closer to each other's face.

_That's insane. I don't even know her,_ he thought and killed the urge of touching her lips with his…

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><p><em>Present Day<em>

Kurtis felt lost in his own thoughts. He realised that he was standing right in front of the core of great darkness. He was standing before great evil, an enemy even more dangerous than the Black Alchemist or the Nephilim man. In there, lay the Fallen Angel, a creature capable of great darkness, bringer of total annihilation of mankind if it ever got released. He had just broken a promise he had forgotten he had made. How easily people forget, what kind of destruction is required for them to remember…

He ran away to grab Lara and get her the hell out of there. He realised he should have never found the Enlightened Libra and shouldn't have opened the Enlightened Gate. He had just betrayed his own Order's secret. But there was still time and if both of them managed to get out of the fortress and lock the Enlightened Gate with the Enlightened Libra once again, the secret would be safe again. Then, destroying the Libra would save the secret for eternity and everything would be back to normal.

As he ran away, the marble gate of the tomb started shaking threateningly. The secret was already disclosed. Someone was already performing the ritual of awakening the greatest evil ever. Lara and Kurtis were not the only ones in the fortress…

**A/N: Just to warn you, we're _not over with surprises! :) _Forgotten memories can be dangerous when they reappear in your life...! Update coming soon! Until then, see ya! xD**


	5. Darkness Unleashed

**Hi everyone! Thank you for the reviews, I'm glad you like the story so far! xD Okay, the twist of the story is unveiling quite slowly I know (meaning that this chapter is not going to disclose what I have in store, not just yet) but chapter six will end this suspense, I promise! For now, here's chapter five, hope you like it!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Darkness Unleashed<strong>

Lara Croft remembered that she had been there before. She already knew the place. And during her first visit there, she saw Kurtis for the first time in her life. The stalker of Paris was not a stranger after all. Practically, they had known each other since they were little kids. It seemed inconceivable to her.

Suddenly, she felt the ground tremble, waking her up from her thoughts. She heard a loud and disgusting howl from the ground. She thought it was the devil's scream. It made her blood freeze.

She started running away. She would find Kurtis, make sure he was alright and then fight the monster in case it guarded anything she needed, more specifically the mythical weapon they were after. As she was running, she stumbled into a man. She tried to scream but he held her mouth with his palm tightly.

"Lara! It's me!" Kurtis told her.

She calmed down and he let her go. He seemed terrified and his hands were shaking. Lara had never seen him so frightened before. Actually, she had never seen him frightened before. She knew he never displayed his fear which meant that right now, things were deadly serious.

"Kurtis, what's going on?" she asked alarmed. Suddenly, the ground trembled again and that made both of them fall down.

"Someone's doin' it" he murmured and stood up, after re-gaining his balance.

"Doing what?" Lara wondered, standing up as well. He didn't reply.

"Kurtis!" she screamed his name in indignation, desperate for an answer.

"Lara, get outta here! I'll take care of this!" he told her. His words alarmed her.

"What? If you think that I'm going to leave you all alone in this goddamn fortress, you're dead wrong" she said angrily.

"You have to!" he yelled at her as he shook her shoulders.

"No Kurtis! Do you remember what happened the last time I let you fight evil by yourself? I'm not making the same mistakes" she refused.

She expected from him to start arguing with her in order to convince her to get out of the fortress. Instead, he pulled her face close to his and kissed her with so much pain and remorse that she felt her heart beating really fast and her soul melting for him.

"Please, Lara. You have to go" he said gently and calmly.

She knew that he was aware of what he was going to fight. And if Kurtis was as alarmed as he seemed to be, the enemy had to be very strong, but still he insisted on fighting alone in order to protect her.

"Please, don't make me leave you" she pleaded.

"Go, Lara. Trust me, I'll be fine" he told her.

She knew that she had to stay with him and fight but something inside of her told her that she had to listen to him. She didn't know the reason, she just had to go.

There was a secret there that she shouldn't find out, or she just didn't have to, since he seemed prepared to face this all on his own. And Kurtis didn't intend to lose her because of his mistakes and carelessness. He should have known, he shouldn't have forgotten.

So Lara Croft ran away and Kurtis Trent stayed behind to fight the evil that had been just unleashed. The point was that he didn't know by whom… yet…

**A/N: I've always been keen on drama...! Oh, well...!**


	6. Demons

**Hello! :) I'm terribly sorry for the delay, but I didn't have the time to update until today! No matter what, the story will be finished, I promise! ;)**

**An important note/warning: For this chapter, the story got rated M! I don't know if this will discourage you to continue reading the story, but in this chapter there is some mild description and mostly implications of violent scenes! It's the only chapter written in such a way, the rest of the chapters will be much milder! In addition, there are religious references in this chapter with which I DO NOT TRY TO CONDEMN ANY RELIGION! If such impressions are made, it is not what I intended! Do not forget that the story is written for entertainment only and mainly revolves around the characters of Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness, and nothing more!**

**Don't say you weren't warned! :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Demons<strong>

She ran away but the guilt she felt for leaving him to fight alone wouldn't let her get out of the place. She stopped. She was exhausted. She knew she had to go away.

_"How could you leave him here?"_ a voice inside her whispered.

_"He's getting through this without you. Traitor"_

"NO!" she screamed. "That's madness" she said. _How did I lose myself this way? I would never obey someone else's will. I have to help him._

Without a second thought, she ran back in order to help him.

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><p>His strength was drained but he was glad that his battle was finally over. At least now the fortress had nothing sinister to hide, since the Fallen angel was eventually killed. Much effort was required for this but the outcome was certainly worth it. His troubles though were far from over. He walked away to find the core of the unleashed shadows. He ran back to the tomb he had found earlier and noticed that the tomb's gate had been broken and knocked down. Feeling a presence behind him, he turned around and suddenly faced a man whom he didn't expect to see again…<p>

He was standing in front of him. He was there, alive. And he was disgustingly familiar to Kurtis…

"Hey it's been a long time, Lux Veritatis. You came here to watch me bring the Great Evil to life?" Troy Gabes told him.

Kurtis felt rage inside him. It was indeed him. He hadn't changed a bit throughout all those years though. Kurtis assumed that he was immortal. Ageless more specifically but a single bullet could kill him like everyone else. No, he hadn't forgotten. He could never forget his face, it had been chasing him throughout his whole childhood. How could he ever forget?

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><p>Hunted down. Slaughtered like animals. Merciless predators, killing in a territory that didn't even belong to them.<p>

They say that the most horrid crimes are committed to His name. That's something Kurtis could never comprehend. Until that very day…

He was only a young boy when the greatest of tragedies occurred. A group of armed men, dedicated to protect the Church from heretic Orders had found their fortress in Utah. Obsessed to serve the so-called divine will and annihilate every religious sect that did not abide by the Church's dogmatic rules for which many people had died, they wanted to make the Lux Veritatis Order disappear and leave not a single trace of theirs on the face of Earth. But there was something special about this specific Order which made the necessity of their total annihilation even more intense; their tainted blood. At least that was what the ruler of the religious group always claimed, that their blood was tainted and that they were offshoots of demonic creatures, ceaselessly serving the will of Devil. But this belief was far from true. The Lux Veritatis Order indeed held abnormal powers but those were only used for the sake of humanity's redemption. The Order had been fighting against the evil forces since the day it was formed. But no one would ever believe them if they tried to explain what the Lux Knights actually did, what kind of battles they fought every day. Such facts were named as "tales" or "myths" by human beings and were always underrated. Should the Lux Veritatis try to reveal themselves and be honest with people, they would all be dead before they knew it, accused of blasphemy.

So there was no way for them to survive but hide. They were fighting to protect a race that was against the Order itself, or would be if humanity found out about them. Fighting for a race which could easily bring your doom was not an easy duty.

That night, the Order failed to remain into obscurity. The religious group invaded the fortress, burnt the homes of the Lux Veritatis, killed everyone on sight, even defenceless women and children, without mercy. But no matter how many members of the Order died, it was the death of only one member that would bring the doom of the Order; the death of the Chosen One, Kurtis Heissturm.

His mother was never away from him, she never left her son until she found a safe place where he could hide and never be found. The Navajo woman, Marie, found a collapsed roof and hid her son under its ruins, making sure he was not visible. She kissed her son, afraid of the pain of losing loved ones. But she tried not to panic; she knew her son was safe and she had to find her husband and make sure he was okay. She didn't intend to lose him, not him. She loved Konstantin more than she would ever be able to describe. Being the wife of a Lux Veritatis warrior was painful and Marie was more than aware of the pain of loving such a man. But that was why the Lux Veritatis always ended up with someone who would never betray them; because of this pain. If a woman was eager to endure this pain, it meant that the love she felt was stronger than the pain, it meant that she could be trusted with the warrior's love. Marie instantly wished that Kurtis' lover and hopefully wife would suffer less than her, when she eventually appeared in his life.

Marie was about to leave in order to find Konstantin, but to her misfortune, a man of the religious group grabbed her violently and forced her to face him.

"One more dirty womb that gave life to unworthy souls…" the man murmured. Marie was pale in fear but she didn't want to display signs of terror to her enemy. Only when she saw her husband unconscious a few steps away did she finally bend.

"No! You demons of hell, leave us alone!" she cried out.

The merciless man forced her on the ground and he as well collapsed atop her. Marie assumed that he would sooner or later end her life but instead, he started kissing her neck. Marie felt totally disgusted and terror overruled her mind when she realised that the man had begun undressing her.

Kurtis was still hidden, hadn't moved an inch from where his mother had put him. With innocent blue eyes, he found a small opening from which he could see what was happening outside his hiding place. But as soon as he faced the terror taking place outside, he immediately regretted his actions. His father was lying unconscious a little farther than his mother, who was now being abused before his very eyes. He saw his mother's tears flowing like rivers down her cheeks, the expression on her face indicated that she was in much pain, as her body was violently rocking with the movements of the man atop her. Marie turned her head and saw that her son was staring at her. The little boy was terrified, shocked, didn't know what was happening to her or how long she would have to endure this pain. His vision became blur as his innocent eyes were flooded with tears. His mother cried in shame as she whispered to her son; "Hide".

The boy then, overtaken by shock probably lost his senses, because as a man, he could never recall what had happened next.

**A/N: Wow, this is the biggest chapter of the story so far! I hope you didn't freak out, reviews would be much appreciated, I had my misgivings of uploading this chapter...! Please tell me what you think of this! **


	7. Wrath

**Hello! I'd like to thank gyikhu and Felirium for their constant reviews to every single chapter, thank you very much and I hope the previous chapter was not too shocking...! :) Chapter seven is here, it's as well quite longer than the initial chapters! I hope you like it! ;)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Wrath<strong>

He was standing there and he looked as if not a single day had passed since that blood-stained night. Ageless, immortal, Kurtis didn't care. He would find the way to kill him, no matter aimed at Troy with his gun, ready to shoot him.

"Are you gonna shoot me, Kurtis? What for? Your life was already fucked up before I entered it" Troy underestimated him. Troy knew his name, a fact which made Kurtis wonder how it was possible. But he wasn't really interested in finding out either. He had other intentions.

Troy as well had not forgotten. That night, he had realised that the young boy was seeing his own mother being abused, mistreated. But he just hadn't cared. And now, he was a strong man, aiming at him with a gun. It was apparent that the Lux Veritatis warrior hadn't seen good days for a very long time. The tortures and pain he had been through were all apparent in Kurtis' handsome face, his cold expression never fading away, the pain in his ocean-blue eyes never abandoning him. And Troy was sure of whom he was facing, he could never forget this extraordinary shade of his eyes; blue but not the commonplace shade of blue that many people's eyes had, but dark blue, as if you were facing deep oceans of pain and sorrow while looking into his eyes.

"What a strong man you've become" Troy mocked ironically.

"Shut your mouth!" Kurtis responded wrathfully.

"Ah, I see why you're still mad at me, Knight. It's because of the day when I kicked your daddy's ass" he said.

Kurtis held the gun firmly, ready to pull the trigger. Troy approached him and said with a low tone.

"And when I fucked your mother in front of you. I bet she liked it"

"You BASTARD!" he yelled and shot until his gun was empty. However, Troy was still standing there, intact, as though he had never been shot. Kurtis' eyes widened in surprise and undisclosed horror. Troy laughed mockingly, an act which filled Kurtis with rage and made him throw his gun and punch Troy so hard that he stumbled and fell on the ground.

He stood above him and kept punching him but Troy didn't seem to get hurt or injured. Neither bruises, nor blood appeared on Troy's face.

"You can't kill me" he managed to say while panting, after Kurtis' exhaustion overtook his rage and made him stop beating Troy.

Tormenting images flashed through Kurtis' mind as the knuckles of his hands were becoming red because of the punches that Troy received from him. He saw his fellow knights being violently killed, his father being unconscious while badly injured and the worst thing; his mother being raped. He never thought that women could be treated in such a way as he was a young child then and his soul still innocent. Ever since, he felt a constant pain in his heart. But eventually he got used to it…

As they both stood up, staring at each other in a threatening manner, Kurtis noticed a red crystal on Troy's skin, right under his neck. Troy, who observed that, finally spoke.

"Yes, Lux Knight, the myths were indeed true" he said, vocalising Kurtis' thoughts. It was then when he realised how Troy knew so many things about him; his name, his feelings, his thoughts. Apart from immortality, Troy also possessed telepathic powers.

"You were already aware of an ancient weapon's presence but you neither had nor cared about information regarding this" he said, pointing to the red gem incorporated in his skin. "The Crystal of Azrael, an object of great power. It is said to transform you into what you really are, into the form of your soul. It can only be used once and by one person. But of course, you didn't know all this as all you wanted was its power for your own personal reasons. That is why you entered the fortress and thanks to you, I gained access to it as well. I always hated orders and sects like yours, but there was always something about the Lux Veritatis that fascinated me; their powerful weapons. I knew about the fortress's existence long before you found out about it but I could not invade it. Your Order certainly knew how to hide secrets and valuable items. I was in the sad position to find out that only a Lux Veritatis could open the Enlightened Gate because of the Latin words that only they knew. I have to admit, I always cursed my leader for not having killed all of you but now, his actions served my purpose. And now, with Azrael's power I shall terminate the life of yours and stop this tainted blood from flowing through your veins" he said and closed his eyes.

Then he screamed in agony and started changing form. His skin became black as coal and black, sharp wings appeared from his back, tearing his shirt off. The red gem shone brightly throughout this whole transformation. Troy opened his eyes. Now, they were yellow, devoid of every humane emotion. Troy had always been merciless but now everything on him was demonic, his soul revealed in a material form. His soul was a core of evil, which Kurtis, as the last of the Lux Veritatis and a devoted Demon Hunter, would annihilate.

Then he would find Lara. Whatever was going to happen, he _would_ find Lara the same night. He tried not to think of Lara at all so Troy wouldn't become aware of her presence. Right now, his purpose was to kill the beast before his eyes.

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><p>Lara ran fast, desperately trying to follow the scream she had heard many minutes earlier. She ran towards the broken tomb only to find the man she loved leaning against a nearby wall with a blooded face. She ran, heading for him. He tried to hit her as he didn't realise who was there at first but stopped as soon as he saw her. He was badly injured.<p>

"Lara…" he managed to whisper.

Then he ran out of strength. He collapsed towards her and she held him tightly.

"Sh. It's okay" she said, trying to comfort him as she held him in her arms.

"I'm right here" she whispered to his ear.

"Lara Croft. What an honour to meet you" Troy said from behind.

She turned and faced the one who had caused such physical and mental pain to Kurtis. She stood in front of her partner while facing the enemy. Kurtis leaned against the wall again, feeling his senses abandoning him due to the physical and mental exhaustion that his battle with Troy had caused.

"Who the hell are you?" she said coldly.

"It hurts, doesn't it? I mean the thing you humans call 'love' " Troy said.

Without a warning, she took her pistols and fired several times but Troy still remained unharmed.

"It's hopeless" Kurtis weakly murmured from behind, not sure whether Lara had heard him or not.

Troy transformed to a demon again, each stage of his metamorphosis making Lara cold with fear. However, the monster's physical structure was not as strong as it was before Kurtis fought it. Troy was weakened by his battle with the Lux Knight.

"Fight me if you dare" she heard his disgusting, loud voice. This battle was going to be tough as Lara had to fight all alone and the water level which was reaching Lara's waist hindered any single movement to be performed properly.

"That's what I intend to do" she said more to herself than to the demon before her eyes…


	8. Enemy

**Hello and thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Sorry I didn't update earlier, but I didn't have the time! My free time is becoming more and more limited, unfortunately! But I promised you that the story will be posted 'till its end and I always keep my promises! ;) So here's the next chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Enemy<strong>

"The crystal. Focus on the crystal" he had advised her. "It's the source of his power"

Despite his weak state, he wouldn't let Lara fight this beast all alone. He gathered all of his strength and got prepared to fight as well. Although he could not move as fast as he would be able to before his first fight with the monster, at least he would be able to somewhat help her with his Chirugai.

The beast moved its wings in a daunting manner, but this scared neither Lara, nor Kurtis. Lara sighed. She was ready.

She started shooting Troy in order to distract him, while Kurtis was focused on his wings, trying to weaken them so his enemy would not be able to fly. The Chirugai fulfilled its purpose; the wings were torn, weakened and Troy was now unable to fly. The creature howled in rage. Lara wasted no time. In split seconds, she took the knife she always hid in her boot and attacked the beast, aiming at the gem in its neck. As the monster got distracted and confused by the bullets of Kurtis' gun, Lara found the time to separate the red crystal from Troy's skin.

The blood-red gem of Azrael fell on the watery ground. Both Lara and Kurtis retreated, staring at Troy with curiosity and suspicion.

The creature started transforming again and, once in human form, felt the acute pain piercing through his whole body. Troy widened his eyes because of the pain and the realisation of the fact that he was defeated. He stared at the red gem before looking up at Lara, who was smiling triumphantly. Then his gaze locked on Kurtis' face. The Lux Veritatis, as soon as he saw that Troy was looking at him with eyes wide open, he whispered; "Rot in hell, asshole", being sure that Troy had read his lips and that those words of hatred would haunt him through eternity. Troy fell on the watery ground lifeless, causing a loud noise because of his contact with the water.

Lara watched in astonishment. Once she was sure that Troy Gabes was dead, she turned behind to face her partner. Only then did she realise that he was breathing heavily like he was struggling hard to stay alive. He was about to fall on his knees but Lara managed to catch him and help him keep his balance. Kurtis was overtaken by exhaustion, feeling his lungs burning and the oxygen forsaking him. Then he saw Lara right in front of him.

"Don't you dare die, you hear me?" she said with apparent anger and concealed fear.

He smiled. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easily. I intend to piss you off for the rest of your life" he managed to say despite his struggle for oxygen. She smiled after this statement, feeling happy about his confidence. Then she faced the Crystal of Azrael on the bottom of the shallow pool. "Maybe we should hide this" she said concerned.

"No need to. It can be only used once. It's useless now" he explained in a more steady voice than some seconds before. "It's the fortress we should hide" he added. Lara looked at him, feeling happy to see that his breathing had become steady and his face calmer and more serene. She knew he was right; all this mess would not have occurred, had they kept off the fortress and its deadly secrets.

She put his arm around her shoulder so they could both get out of the fortress.

"Lara, I-" but he was interrupted as Lara put a finger on his lips.

"Later, okay? Now we have to get out of here" she said.

_"Lara, I will allow no one to treat you like my mother was treated"_ he wanted to tell her. He didn't.

They both walked away, leaving this scene of devastation behind them.

After a lot of walking and searching, they managed to find their way out. Kurtis was extremely exhausted as he had no mental strength left. His having used his supernatural powers on his previous fight had made him weak. But he hadn't let this be the cause for him to retreat from the battle. Kurtis never left the field of battle, thinking that such action would be an act of cowardice and he wouldn't waste his honour and consequently his Order's one in such a way.

They made their way out of the fortress after locking the Enlightened Gate in the same way they had opened it, and after what seemed an eternity, they managed to reach the car. Lara and Kurtis got into the car, with Lara this time taking the driver's seat. After that, she drove away fast.

She started driving away, leaving the adventure that had just taken place behind. They could have given a creature capable of great destruction the chance to plague the world with its inhuman rage had they not been cautious and strong. Lara didn't know what exactly had happened while she was trying to run away on her own. She had seen the broken tomb but she had no idea what kind of creature it could have been hiding all along as she was sure that Troy had not appeared from the tomb. She hoped that Kurtis would explain when he could but for now all that mattered was that they were alive and that they were heading for their temporary home… together.

**A/N: One more chapter left so please be patient! :) **


	9. Shelter

**Hello to everyone! xD Yeap, I'm here and the final chapter is finally posted! Sorry I kept you waiting, I hope the finale will make this up to you! ;)**

**UPDATE 2014: I changed just a very small part of the last chapter as I thought it was lame! **(Actually, I only deleted one sentence and added another)!** I mean, Lara and Kurtis just had an intense night full of unpleasant surprises and most importantly, Kurtis just got reminded of his mother being sexually violated in a brutal manner! I just couldn't let the chapter imply that… you know, they engaged into bed activities! :P So I slightly changed this part! I know many readers loved the way their night ended, but it just didn't feel right to me so I really felt I should change it! Sorry if this pissed anyone off!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Shelter<strong>

When he was working as a mercenary, Kurtis had bought a small, detached house in the capital of Poland. It was now a remnant of his ruthless youth and dark past but for now, it was the best shelter they could find. Lara carried him inside the house, into the room and on the bed. He was so weakened that he seemed to be battling against himself so as not to fall unconscious. She started taking care of his wounds when he opened his eyes.

"It's okay. I took you away from there" she comforted him.

He stood up and sat so he could face her. There was silence for a while until she broke it.

"You've been there before, haven't you?" she asked him.

He nodded positively. Then they looked into each other's eyes, knowing that the same thought was racing through their minds; they had actually known each other since they were kids.

Kurtis told Lara about the events that had taken place after she had left, without omitting anything. Lara felt astonishment while hearing about the Fallen Angel and the story of the Crystal of Azrael.

"My father knew what he was doing when he hid the Crystal from the face of the earth. Damn, what kind of mess we could have caused…" he uttered while looking into her beautiful brown eyes.

"It's over now" she spoke with relief. "No need to worry about it anymore"

He remained silent for a while, bitter thoughts about his Order's ultimate fate troubling his mind again. "It was me who condemned them, my fellow knights, my father… I could have protected them. But I was such a coward that I decided to run away, thinking that I was doing the best thing for everyone. I could have…" he didn't managed to finish his sentence. He shut his eyes and let out a sigh he did not know he was holding inside of him.

Lara couldn't stand the sorrow he was feeling. She wanted to end it, make his pain go away.

"You shouldn't blame yourself. It was not your fault" she put her fingers on his chin and raised his head, in the same manner she had done so in the airlock of Strahov. They both were reminded of this sweet moment. "You may say that the Order died because you left but you know what? I say that the Order _survived_ because you left" she added. Kurtis frowned in confusion. "You would get killed like the rest of them, Kurtis. But you were absent. This saved the Order, it hasn't died out because you're alive" she explained smiling. He as well managed a bitter smile and then looked at her eyes, feeling his senses once again paralysed.

They did nothing but stare at each other for a while but afterwards, she continued taking care of his wounds.

She noticed a wound on his chest but fortunately, it was not deep and could not be any danger for his wellbeing. He would be able to heal it easily the same way he had rapidly healed the wound caused by Boaz, because of his special abilities. Before she knew it, she was touching his wound gently, as if her touch would heal it. For Kurtis, her touch could heal any physical and mental wound. He took her hand and slowly positioned it to his heart, making her feel his heartbeat existing only for her. He closed his eyes while savouring this moment, making sure he would never forget it even through eternity. Their eyes met again, this time reflecting the desire they had for each other. His breathing became heavy. Her heart started beating really fast. And before they both knew it, they ended up kissing each other passionately and emotionally at the same time, offering comfort to each other.

After a while they lay quietly under the bed sheets, just staring at each other. They both felt too fragile to do something more. They just needed this night to be over and the sunlight to declare a new beginning.

She knew what could now follow; Him trying to keep her safe from the Shadow War, protecting her, sometimes walking away for her own safety but always coming back. She hated it when he was running away from her but those conversations always ended up to an argument. She didn't intend to waste her time arguing with him. No, she shouldn't break the silence right now. Only whisper.

She embraced him and whispered to his ear, "I love you"

He smiled and said after he kissed her forehead, "I love you too"

Words they rarely spoke to each other. Words they seldom heard. They could hardly recall how those three words sounded like. Such divine emotions trapped in three single words… It was not enough. Words were never enough for them to describe what they felt for each other. Words were completely unnecessary and totally unable to show what kind of emotions they were experiencing through each other.

Darker days would find them from now on. The great darkness was unleashed. The line between life and death was already blurred. Fighting in a life like theirs was never absent…

There was this mystery always triggering her curiosity and she still hadn't fully solved it; the Mystery of Kurtis Trent.

No matter how hard she'd try, he always seemed unpredictable. She was aware of the darkness of his past even though he would never talk about it. But oddly enough, she always felt safe with him, her protector, her stranger… Lara closed her eyes, lost in thoughts of him. Thinking of him every day, dreaming of him every night… Lost inside the Mystery of the Last Living Member of the enigmatic Lux Veritatis Order…

**~THE END~**

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><p><strong>Thank you all for reading this, I hope you enjoyed reading this short fanfic as much as I enjoyed re-writing it and posting it!<strong>

**Special thanks to gyikhu and Ferilium for their constant reviews! Thanks a lot, you've been really supportive! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lara Croft or Kurtis Trent! I own the plot and our hated enemy, Troy Gabes!**

**Thanks again! See you in the next story when this occurs! Have a nice day! xD**


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